Mahala
A brief synopsis:
Dr. Anna Fox, a child psychologist, is agoraphobic. Separated from her husband, she lives alone in New York City, unable to leave her home. She spends her time watching classic films, drinking a lot of wine, playing chess online, and her favorite pastime, spying on her neighbors. When a new family moves in across the park from her, she becomes obsessed with them. While watching their house, she sees something terrible happen. But why does no one believe her?
What I enjoyed:
The first twist. I really didn't expect it. It was about three quarters through the book, and after finding it out, I couldn't stop reading until I got to the end. And that's why I got four hours of sleep last night, thank you very much, A.J. Finn. I am admittedly kind of a snob when it comes to mysteries or thrillers. Having grown up with Nancy Drew, then moved into Mary Higgins Clark stolen from my mom's collection, I now as an adult find mysteries and thrillers overwhelmingly predictable for the most part. Maybe it was because I was so tired when reading this, but I really didn't anticipate this one. I gasped and was so excited that I hadn't guessed it. It was kinda bizzare, which I loved. That was definitely, I think, the best part of the whole book.
Something I also really liked was the sneaky little Easter egg of the title itself. I didn't realize it until I was done reading it. But the protagonist, Anna, is a huge fan of classic black and white movies. They're talked about and quoted a ton in the book as Anna is always in the house and watching at least one a day. The Woman in the Window is also the title of a classic mystery film from 1944. :)
What I didn't enjoy:
The first three quarters of the book were slow. Not excruciatingly slow, but slow enough that I was like, “Can we please just get to the point?” There's a lot of lounging about the house, watching old movies, drinking wine. Like, lots of wine drinking. I'm unsure if the author was trying to show us how unreliable a narrator Anna was because she was drunk all the time and mixing it with pills, but I got that in the first few chapters. It was totally unnecessary to constantly talk about it for the entire rest of the book. It took away from the plot and was boring. (And also made me feel a little like the author thinks we're simpletons that are unable to latch on to a concept.)
I feel a little guilty saying this because maybe if I had read this one first, I would have liked it more, but this book was SO similar to The Girl on the Train that I was bored. It's SO similar, I was a little blown away. I actually just did a reread of Girl on the Train because my husband was reading it for the first time and it had been years since I read it so I read along with him. Because of that, it was very fresh in mind. Female narrator is unreliable because of alcoholism, sees something terrible happen, no one will believe her, she can't remember if it's real. Yikes. They're almost the exact same plot, y'all.
Recommend for:
Huge fans of The Girl on the Train that want to read more like it. Or someone who likes a light mystery but rarely reads them. I for sure do not recommend this to anyone who is an avid mystery reader. This is one that if you've read one, you've read them all.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Bookouture, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A brief synopsis:
Based on the true story of famous Austrian violinist Alma Rose, who was captured by the Nazis in 1942 while trying to flee to Switzerland and sent to Auschwitz in 1943. Upon arrival in Auschwitz, she was chosen to lead the Auschwitz women's orchestra. Once she realizes that she can help the other girls with her position, she dutifully accepts the responsibility.
What I enjoyed:
It was really interesting to me to learn about what was deemed the “elite” in Auschwitz. I enjoy WWII novels and have never read one from this perspective. Being in the orchestra was seemingly a protection from the gas chambers, beatings, shootings. They were the chosen ones of the SS guards, the favorites. They were worthy to stay alive because they could play the music that entertained the guards. Before reading this, I honestly didn't know the orchestras existed or there were camp “elite.” It was kind of bizzare to hear about. I enjoyed learning about something I didn't know so now I can do my own research to find out what was accurate and dig a little deeper into it.
Something else I thought the author did well was, from what little I know, she did her best to keep Alma true to Alma. I personally felt that Alma wasn't a likable character. But she wasn't just a character, she was a real person. And from the little amount that I've read about her, it seems she was a little harsh and pretentious at times, just like she comes across in the book. There was some inaccurate media circulated about her after the war was over and I appreciated that Midwood did the research to stay as true to Alma as possible.
What I didn't enjoy:
There were two major things that really turned me off to this novel and are what made me give it three stars. First, I felt that the portrayal of the Nazis was almost soft. I know there were SS that were not evil, but it seems that Alma met every single one. At times, it was almost sympathetic or understanding to some of them. I just really felt like it was an unfair and privileged portrayal of them. And at the times when she was angry or upset about something they did, the emotion just wasn't there. Infamous Dr. Mengele was prominent in the novel, and I never once felt fear or anger towards him. He was kind to Alma. I have no idea how much of this is true, and I don't think it's possible for us to know. But it just felt wrong to portray so many of the Nazis in a soft, almost favorable light.
The second and worst problem for me was the absolute pointless inclusion of a love interest. A completely fictionalized love story incorporated into it. It felt almost disrespectful to me. This woman is in a concentration camp fighting for her life and the lives of the girls in her orchestra. Is that not enough of a story? Is a story only a story if there's a love interest? It felt gross and wrong. It wasn't her real story. Not even close. But the second half of the novel suddenly turned into will their love be a strong enough force to save them? Yikes. Just yikes. It was extremely disappointing and honestly turned me off to reading any more of this author's books.
Would I recommend?
Honestly, no. If you want to read a WWII book, I definitely have some recommendations that are better, just ask. If you want to learn more about Alma Rose, she's an important part of history and I recommend doing so, but do your own research.
Find my reviews here.
A brief synopsis:
Willa Jackson comes from small town Walls of Water, North Carolina. Her family was once wealthy, her great-great-grandfather built the finest home in town, the Blue Ridge Madam. But then the family met financial ruin, and so did the Madam. It has stood in ruin for many years, but “townie” Paxton Osgood is in the process of restoring the Madam to it's former glory, complete with an anniversary gala for opening night. But when a skeleton is found buried under the lone peach tree on the property, the town is thrown into scandal once again and Willa and Paxton's families are forced together to figure out what happened at the Madam so many years ago.
What I enjoyed:
Okay, first you should know that I'm a sucker for a good Southern sweet tea, peach pie, we love nature, small town story. They're characteristically cheesy, but I think I love them because I'm from a small, Southern town in Tennessee and the reality is that it's actually just full of meth heads and racists. I think I always wanted that sweet Southern belle ideal to be real and not problematic. Plus, if you've ever read Sarah Addison Allen before, you know this has some elements of magical realism. Now, I don't love high fantasy or supernatural fiction, but I like a little sprinkling of fantasy. And magical realism fits the bill. So all in all, the setting was perfection for me.
I'm going to put this in the category of what I enjoyed although it may actually be what I'm on the fence about. There's an enemies to lovers trope here. I honestly never know how to feel about those! As an avid reader of young adult contemporaries, you know I've read a lot of them. I don't love them or hate them. I'm somewhere in between. For this particular story, I feel like it worked and the first blossoms of ~falling in love~ described within made me nostalgic for those days with my now husband myself.
What I didn't enjoy:
The writing is a liiiiitle cheesy, as I already mentioned. Typical of sweet Southern story. But the mystery was not really a mystery. I think it was fairly obvious, after the skeleton was found, what happened. But although it's kind of billed as a mystery, I didn't personally think that was the plot. It was more a story about family, friendships, finding out who you are, etc. So I'd say this isn't a mystery, but I didn't mind.
Would I recommend?
This story is cutesy. Do you like cutesy? Then sure, yes. Especially if you like a lighthearted Southern belle story. But listen, if you're only into high-brow, intellectual stories, this is not the one for you.
Favorite quote:
“Happiness is a risk. If you're not a little scared, then you're not doing it right.”
There are so many stories going on in this book, but I'll try to sum it up. First, Cecelia is that PTA mom with the perfect life and family. She's a lovely, sweet person, a great wife, and a great mom to her three girls. When she finds an old letter to her from her husband to be read only in the event of his death, she doesn't know whether to open it or not. But then she starts to notice how strange he's acting. In the letter is something that will change their lives forever. Secondly, Tess and Will are in a seemingly happy and comfortable marriage until Tess finds out something close to home that rocks her world. There is a third POV, but I honestly think it gives away the plot so I'm not going to mention it.
What I enjoyed:
I loved that all the characters were connected. There were many, many characters in this book who all had completely different storylines going on, but it was really interesting to see how everyone intertwined. It made me think about cause and effect and how delicate relationships are. Relationships we may not even know are significant can be changed in an instant. All of us are connected somehow, but we don't always see that.
After reading and loving Big Little Lies, I was determined to read Moriarty's other novels. BLL was so fast paced and kept me involved in the story. For the most part, The Husband's Secret was the same way. It was definitely fast paced, and I didn't get bored. Although some POVs were more interesting than others, I thought.
The epilogue. Y'all, the epilogue kind of made the book for me. It's kind of like a Sliding Doors situation. The tiny choices we make can have large consequences. The tiny choices we make can change our life forever. In the epilogue, the author gives us insight into what would have happened to many of the characters had they made different choices. I've never read an ending quite like that, and I loved it. 10/10 epilogue, would recommend. If I had gone home after an exhausting weekend instead of saying yes to meeting some friends for frozen yogurt, I would never have met my husband. I wouldn't be sitting her writing this review today. Thinking about chains of events and the tiny choices that set them off blows my mind.
What I didn't enjoy:
The third POV I didn't mention earlier because it gives away the secret. Honestly. The secret was so easy to guess, it's like I didn't even have to guess it. It was just there for me to take and acknowledge. Literally having the third POV is a straight up spoiler. It's obvious what Cecelia's husband is hiding almost from the very beginning. And although I still enjoyed the plot, I wish it hadn't been so obvious.
I also think the character (third POV) is unlikeable. But that's neither here nor there. I don't need to like every character. Just a side point and opinion.
I wasn't honestly sure I wanted to even say or include this because I'm so torn about it, but by the end, Tess's story felt a little out of place. As I said before, all the characters are intertwined so it wasn't that she didn't belong at all. But it just felt like filler at times. Like maybe it should have had a different novel altogether. I don't know, it just felt strange.
Would I recommend?
I would recommend this book for someone who enjoyed Big Little Lies or books like it. This is a very light mystery with little scandal, but overarching sentiments about choices and secrets.
This is a novel about Sophie Applebaum, a woman from a Jewish family in Pennsylvania. In the same style as the Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing, Sophie's life is told in a series of stories from her childhood to her late 20s/early 30s. I'd say this isn't necessarily a coming of age story, but more like a finding out who you are story.
After reading the Girl's Guide, I immediately added The Wonder Spot to my TBR and for the first time ever, my local book store had what I was looking for the first time I checked. So of course I had to pick it up. My new favorite writing style is just Melissa Bank. I've never read anyone or anything quite like her. It makes me feel soft and warm and safe. I can get lost in it and just be comfortable. Seeing her grouped into chick lit is painful, tbh. This isn't chick lit, it's prose. It has substance.
I love that Bank doesn't just focus on the love interests like many books do. Yes, Sophie dates and falls in and out of love. But she also has a career that she falls into and can't get out of. And she has complicated family relationships that I related to, especially the strained relationship with her grandmother. Sophie has complex friendships that evolve over time for better or worse. I particularly loved reading about her friendship evolution with Dena. The emotions and feelings were portrayed in a way that I deeply understood and felt. It made me uncomfortable in the best way. Sophie and her family could be any of us and our families, that's how realistic she is. I absolutely adore Melissa Bank and hope to always read more from her.
Favorite quote: “I felt sure that everyone was looking at me and then realized that no one was, and I experienced the distinct shame of each.”
Would I recommend?
Yes, with no exceptions. It's not for everyone, but it's worth a try.
Jacob is a teen with Asperger's Syndrome (now known as an autism spectrum disorder, I believe. It's no longer a separate diagnosis.) Like many people with this disorder, he doesn't meet people's eyes in conversation and doesn't understand social cues. But his obsession is true crime, specifically forensic science. He watches reruns of the equivalent of Forensic Files every day, and often shows up at local crime scenes to try to “help” solve the case. But when a murder happens close to home, Jacob ends up as a suspect.
I believe this is meant to be a mystery but I'm not putting on my mystery shelf because it's not. It was extremely clear from the beginning what really happened, which made the 500 pages a little exhausting, just waiting for it to be “revealed.” But it is a story of family. As always, Jodi Picoult went above and beyond with her research. I may not always love the storyline, but I am ALWAYS impressed by the research she does. In this case, not only living with Asperger's, but also forensic science. It's so obvious that a ton of work and research went into this book, as usual with her books.
Something else I really loved was Jacob's brother Theo's point of view. This is written in alternating POVs, including Jacob, Theo, Jacob's mother Emma, his lawyer, Oliver, and a police detective. I enjoyed seeing the story from everyone's point of view, but especially Theo's. Theo was so realistic. He was resentful at times. He felt cheated out of his childhood and being the little brother. If you've ever taken care of a family member with a disability or even a debilitating disease, it's very relatable. I appreciated that it wasn't just rainbows and sunshine. The only thing that was a little annoying was how repetitive it was. I feel like the book could have been a couple hundred pages shorter had we not had to listen to Emma talking about his symptoms over and over and over. Like, we got it in the first hundred pages. But overall, I only discounted one star for this because I adored the realism of Theo and the research was over the top good.
Would I recommend?
Sure, why not?
I've seen this book floating around the book community and recently saw a good review from an acquaintance and decided to pick it up when I saw it at my local shop. Trying not to be spoilery, so here's a quick synopsis. Nora hasn't spoken to her school friend, Clare, in a decade. But out of the blue, she receives an invitation to her hen night. She decides to go. The group is staying for a couple nights in a glass house in the forest. Nothing can go wrong there, right?
This is a fast paced read and I got through it quickly, as is the case with most well written “thrillers.” Problem was this wasn't much of a thriller. From the blurbs, description, and cover, I was expected to be scared. And I will admit, the setting of the glass house in the forest was enough to creep me out at first. But that's about it. The lead up is pretty quick and the action happens about halfway through the book, which had me so confused. The second half is strictly trying to find out who did it. I've never read anything quite like it. To be marketed as a psychological thriller, it was pretty lacking. The characters are pretty transparent and it's clear what's going on pretty early on. In fact, it was so obvious who the villain was, that I thought the psychological part would be that I was wrong and it was someone else entirely somehow. But no.
Would I recommend?
No, not really. I mean, if you don't read a lot of thrillers and you're looking for something lightly creepy for the autumn season, maaaaybe. But I've got some better suggestions, tbh.
Anna is an American living in Switzerland with her Swiss husband, Bruno, and their children. She's clearly depressed and lonely, still feeling isolated by a language barrier after all these years. She has no girlfriends and her husband is emotionally unavailable. So Anna starts having affairs. It starts with one, but she quickly loses control and can't keep up with her own lies. Things just spiral. (It was only a kiss, how did it end up like this? It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss!)
So ngl, I picked up this book because the cover is beautiful. I didn't really care what it was about; it was a novel, and the cover was gorgeous. Having no expectations, I can't say I was disappointed. But I didn't love it. Anna's depression and total apathy to anyone but her own self is palpable and difficult to read at times. She's not an easily likable protagonist even if she's somewhat understandable at times. Trying to sort through her deception and lies and affairs is frustrating. She's going to therapy but lying to her therapist. She refuses to try to make friends. It's just frustrating.
One thing I was really impressed by was how the timeline could change in almost every paragraph and, without any explanation, we knew exactly what was going on. From a therapy appointment, to what Anna was currently doing, to a few years prior. The timeline skipped around A LOT, but it was never confusing. And that's not easy to do. So props to the author for that. All in all, though, I wouldn't read it again and it was pretty forgettable, hence the three star review.
Would I recommend?
I'd say pass on this one, unless you have a very specific set of things you want in a book and this fits it perfectly.
You all know what The Great Gatsby is about so no synopsis here. As always, I don't love writing reviews about classics because there's a million out there better than mine. And I also don't usually like the classics.
Although, this time I had pretty high hopes as I've read Fitzgerald before and really enjoyed his writing style. He's one of my favorite classic writers. This was a little disappointing just because I didn't love it as much as the others I've read. The first half was a little slow, the descriptions were a lot, the plot setup was at a snail's pace.
But the second half was a lot better, I thought. Super sad, all around. 90% of the characters are so easily dislikeable. But the other 10% are just so sad. But it has such lovely iconic quotes. Anyway, 3.5 stars. I'd love for Jeff Bezos to finally acknowledge we want half stars.
I can't believe this book has been sitting on shelves that I've passed, maybe even looked at, since 1999 and I didn't read it until 2020. It's beautiful.
This is a collection of stories. Mostly told from the point of view of Jane as she moves from adolescence to adulthood. I'd say it's some form of Bildungsroman and a love story you didn't know was a love story. It's not a romance, but there is love. It's not a comedy, but there is humor.
Writing like this makes me feel even less qualified to write a review. Like so many other reviews have stated, it's a shame this beautiful and full prose is classified as chick lit because a woman wrote it. I don't know what to say other than it made me think and feel so many things deep in my ribs. I even broke out the page marker stickers for quick access to my favorite quotes because this is definitely staying on my shelf to reread in a couple years when I forget the gorgeous language I loved so much. It felt like sinking into a worn leather couch in front of the fireplace on a chilly night.
Would I recommend?
If you're looking for a Bridget Jones Nicholas Sparks romance, pass. But if you love prose and feeling things you probably don't want to feel, a million times yes.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'm so glad I didn't go to high school.
This book has been on my TBR since 2016 and I finally spotted it at my local used bookstore. I was in the midst of reading my least favorite genre, a classic, but I've been in a slump for about a month and a half. I heard this one was un-put-downabble so I started it in the hopes that it would get me out of my slump. And reader, I chose well. My official rating for this is 3.5 stars, but since we live in 1995 apparently and Amazon hasn't caught up to the fact that we could have half stars on here, three it is.
Let me start by saying I had the impression that this was a psychological thriller and it's not. It's a straight up mystery. And usually, I don't like mysteries as I read so many at a young age that I find them all predictable now. I'm super picky and I'm just gonna admit that's why I didn't give this a great rating. I found it predictable, yes. Definitely. BUT it wasn't boring. I could not, in fact, put it down. It's 1:30 AM and I've just finished it. It's like even though I knew I was not gonna be shocked and scandalized by the final twists, I still had to read it. The writing isn't anything spectacular but it is gripping. I had to know what happened at all times. The storyline is very high school, specifically rich high schoolers, which is maybe worse. There are some emotional moments (even if they seem forced).
But mainly, we all wanna know, why did smart, successful Amelia die that day? Did she jump off the roof of her school or was she pushed? And so ensues the chaos of reading through a teenager's texts/emails/social media to figure out what was missed and what was really going on in her life.
And as always, teenagers lie and live double lives. I truly do not like teenagers (sorry if you are one, pal.) and this was a lil awful to read just because they're kind of the worst and it's the worst part of life. I'm just gonna end this review because I'm just rambling now.
Would I recommend?
If you like mysteries and are not easily bored by them, yes, you'd probably really enjoy this one.
I've never seen the movie so I figured I might as well read the book after all this time. It's cute and funny and nostalgic, reminds me a bit of the Angus, Thongs (Georgia Nicholson) series, but for adults. Haha. I imagine if this was written now, it'd be extremely problematic. It's kind of annoying at parts, especially how she records her weight and calories eaten every day and then beats herself up about it. It seems she has a genuine eating disorder that isn't at all addressed, but instead made into a joke. It's not cute. I'm trying to chalk it up to the time period because for some reason people didn't know better even though they should have. So if you push that part aside, it was cute and funny. I'd read the second one just to pass the time. But it's nothing to write home about.
Would I recommend?
Eh. Did you like the Georgia Nicholson series as a kid/teen? Then sure. Or do you like 90s-ish british humour? Sure. Otherwise, may be a pass.
Trigger warning for ED.
I chose to read this book because the PopSugar Reading Challenge I'm working on includes a western. I've never read a western before and I'm always willing to try something new. You never know. This novel is 160 pages and I should have read this in a day or two, but every single time I tried to read it, I fell asleep. No joke, I seriously fell asleep four or five times reading this.
I didn't find any fault with the writing style, but this was one of the most pointless books I've ever read. Not a single character had any sort of backstory or personality, they were all one dimensional and we know almost nothing about them. It was a book full of side characters. We've just stepped into a single day in time knowing nothing about these people, and are stumbling through trying to figure out what's going on and who is who and you never really figure it out. Weird and confusing plot. I'm not even really sure what I read at this point, but it was not good.
Would I recommend?
No. I'm sure there's a better western out there if that's what you're into.
Thanks to my best friend, Chloe, for letting me borrow this and being my personal library in this era of quarantine!
I'm not going to write a brief synopsis in this review because there's so many storylines going on over so much time that I don't even know where to start. So just read the synopsis up top. This is also going to be a short review. The writing was good. There was nothing that stood out to me, but nothing I hated either. And that pretty much goes for the whole plot. I first considered giving this four stars because I enjoyed reading it, but the ending was very underwhelming. It was like there was this lead up and setting the scene for this one moment throughout the whole book and then when it happened, nothing happened. It was just eh. So, weird ending. But I enjoyed getting to know the characters and I always enjoy a good multiple POV. But I ended up giving it three stars just because it was so forgettable. If you ask me what this book was about this time next year, I will have no idea. So that's it. Not great, not terrible plot with not great, not terrible writing.
Would I recommend?
Do you just like reading for the heck of it? Like historical fiction and multiple POV (this is a must)? Then, go for it. If you're looking for your next favorite novel, keep looking.
Rich and fabulous Emily asks a fellow mom, Stephanie, for a simple favor: to pick up her son after school and watch him one day. So starts a friendship. Then Emily disappears and Stephanie inserts herself into the mystery, blah, blah, blah. I can't even write a proper synopsis for this convoluted “psychological thriller.”
I watched the movie first and I thought, “Wow, this movie is cheesy but the story could be good. I bet the book is so much better.” Yeah, I was wrong. The movie is so much better. Here's the thing, the story could still be decent. But why is it so cheesy and light? There's really no twists, no surprises. And all the characters are terrible people. Which is, again, fine if written well. I can't really think of anything to say other than there's so much Jerry Springer content that it felt like a VC Andrews but without the good writing. And the ending is so blah.
Update: My husband just stopped by my computer as I was writing this and said I was so mean and that someone put a lot of time into this. Listen, I know they did. I get that it's a debut novel. But I'm not here to make friends, I'm here to write honest reviews. I'm not trying to be mean, I'm sure she's a lovely person and great teacher. But this book is just truly bad. Yikes.
This storyline was unlike anything I'd read before. It's dual POV. First, we begin the story of Sophie Lefevere during World War I in France. Her husband, an artist, is fighting in the war. Sophie's town is taken over by Germans and a Kommandant sees the portrait Sophie's husband painted of her and becomes obsessed. (No spoilers here.) Flash forward and we're now in modern day London with Liv Halston. She is in possession of Sophie's portrait, The Girl You Left Behind, which was a wedding gift from her late husband. She becomes involved in a bitter battle over the portrait once it's found in her possession.
It only took me like three weeks to read this because Depression™. But that shouldn't reflect on the book, because it was beautiful and interesting. So like I said, we start with Sophie's story, which is a harrowing one. Then in the MIDST of it, we're suddenly dropped into modern day London with a totally new character. EXCUSE ME. I was a little upset at first, not gonna lie. I wanted to finish Sophie's story, I had to know what happened. But then I did end up getting interested in Liv's world, so it was okay. The characters in the historical fiction part were real to me and fleshed out and living. The modern day characters were just okay. They felt a little like pawns in the game other than Liv, but eh, whatever.
Here's what I truly think. I think this would have been better as a single POV historical fiction, just totally cutting out the modern day part. BUT I did find it interesting the way she revealed what happened to Sophie. I don't want to give any spoilers, but as the synopsis states, there is a court battle over Sophie's portrait, which brings up a lot of found evidence. I've never read anything like that or the big reveal being made in a modern day courtroom in a historical fiction. So I was really interested in the setting. But I think I would have enjoyed it more without. That's the reason I've rated it four stars instead of five. I also felt the court battle was really drawn out and could have been at least 50 pages shorter. I truly loved Sophie and company and wanted to read about everything they did and what happened to them. It was heartbreaking and beautiful and I freaking sobbed at the end. It's truly a beautiful story of love and loss and the human condition.
Would I recommend?
If you've read anything else Jojo Moyes and enjoyed it, yes. If you like historical fiction, it's worth dual modern day POV. It's worth it.
Looking through reviews on here, it seems I might be the only person who didn't enjoy this book at all. And that is exactly why I never trust Goodreads ratings.
Emmy has known Oliver her entire life. But when Oliver's dad kidnaps him when they're seven, everyone's world is turned upside down. Now they're 17 (?) and Oliver is back. But no one is the same. Can they still be friends, etc, etc, etc. There's a heart on the cover and this is contemporary YA. I'm sure you can see where this is going.
I wanted to give this three stars so badly just because the plot line is finally something not overdone in YA. It sounded so promising and emotional. But I just couldn't give this more than two stars. I just really did not enjoy reading this book. I kind of dreaded it?? I had to force myself to finish because I JUST DNF'd a book. So here we are. The writing style is kind of painful and the romance was SO cheesy at times. I so wish it had been better because the PLOT. Childhood best friend gets kidnapped and then just shows up again 10 years later?! Come on! This had so much potential.
I really can't explain what I didn't like about this other than the writing style, the parents were absolutely clueless and AWFUL, and Oliver has just come back from being kidnapped and everyone is just pretending nothing happened??? This honestly would have been so much better if it was from his POV or dual POV. Or if it focused on that one aspect. But between Emmy's drama and the side character drama, it was way too much and nothing got focused on. Not to mention that every single “twist” and pain point was SO predictable I couldn't even believe it. It was just really frustrating to read.
TLDR; This is not it, sis.
Would I recommend?
No. Go read a Sarah Dessen or Deb Caletti if you're looking for contemporary YA that will actually make you feel something other than bored and frustrated.
The length of this review is going to be relative to the length of this book, short. This is one of those cases where I saw the movie first because Alexis Bledel in the early 2000s? Of course I'm going to watch it. Thanks to that gem, I did not know that Winnie is actually only 10 years old in the book. So I was like, “Oh, the story must be completely different then.” Haha no, sweetie. The hundred and something year old man who looks to be 17 still asks a 10 year old to marry him. Okay. I know that when this book was published in the 70s, there was a lot more latchkey kids and parents oblivious to the serial killers running rampant, but that plot point is creepy now and I'm willing to bet it was creepy then. And if not, shame on everyone. I UNDERSTAND that this dude wants some action and has been alone for 100 years, but telling a 10 year old you just met to become immortal and marry you when she's 17 is creep city and I couldn't get behind it.
Otherwise, interesting storyline. Loved Winnie's obsession with the frog, that was honestly my favorite part. And it is a storyline that made me think. Unfortunately, I think the creative liberties the movie took actually made this story way better. I just didn't vibe with the Tuck family in the book, but Winnie was sweet and deserves the world. Anyway, 2/5 stars because proposing marriage to children is creepy.
Would I recommend?
It's a v v quick read (I read it in a couple hours) if you want to check this classic off your list. Otherwise, meh.
First of all, I'm mad no one told me this story was based around the Loch Ness monster, Nessie, and I'm personally offended. If you know me, you know I'm obsessed with Nessie and I would have read this a long time ago. When my husband got down on one knee and proposed to me, I was talking about Nessie, in case you need proof of my obsession. ANYWAY, that's why I picked this up. I was strolling through the bookstore and got to the Sara Gruen section. I've not read any of her books but I've obviously heard of her. So I just decided to read the synopsis on the book jacket. You guys don't know how fast I bought this as soon as my eyes saw the words “Loch Ness monster.” I didn't even read the rest of the synopsis.
That said, it turns out our protagonist, a spoiled rich brat from the United States named Maddie, her husband, Ellis, and their always attached to them friend, Hank, set off to find Nessie and prove to Ellis's dad that he's of some sort of worth after he gets cut off from family money. Spoiler alert: he's not. They're all spoiled, rich, brats with zero personality. I almost didn't even want to read it because of how awful they were. This is also all happening during WWII, so that brings in another set of circumstances.
I'm glad I powered through my first impressions. I legit could not put this down, but at the same time, I read it slowly because I didn't want to leave their world. The character development is great. The secrets revealed throughout are just enough to keep you interested, even though they're nothing groundbreaking. The female friendships are thriving. And although it turned out the book wasn't actually about baby Nessie, she does have some cameos, which I was super into. And the romance involved was SO good. I'm SO picky about the romance bits of books because most of it is unrealistic or cheesy, but I was INTO IT, y'all. Give me this book all day every day. It doesn't have great reviews, and I'm really not sure why. I thought it was captivating and I'm giving it five stars because I can't think of a single reason not to. Which is a big deal. If you keep up with my reviews at all, you know I rarely give anything five stars, even if I really like it.
Would I recommend?
Do you like historical fiction? Yes, friend, yes.
A Little Something Different is about college students Lea and Gabe. Everyone can see their chemistry, except for them sometimes. That's why their meet-cute story is told from 14 different viewpoints, none of them theirs.
I cannot tell you how many times I've picked up this book in any number of bookstores, carried it around, found something I thought sounded better, and then put this one back. SO many times. Finally, I saw it at my local book exchange and committed. It doesn't hurt that it has a few small books on the cover, which works for one of my PopSugar challenges.
I didn't have high hopes for this book for some reason (I just always had a feeling), so I wasn't necessarily disappointed in it. This is some fluff writing, y'all. This is absolutely the least inventive story you'll read this year. Boy meets girl, boy and girl stare at each other for an entire semester without talking, boy and girl finally talk. That's the plot. There's little to no character development. We never hear from Gabe or Lea, which is actually okay, but that means we never find out anything about them.
Honestly, the only reason I gave this book two stars instead of one was because of the 14 viewpoints. We hear from people like a Starbucks barista, a teacher's spouse, and a squirrel (my favorite part of the book.) That was super neat. I loved reading it from all those perspectives and the concept of being outside looking in. But it also fell flat.
Would I recommend?
For the plot, definitely no. But if you're looking for a quick read and are intrigued by the 14 viewpoints, it's not the worst thing.
This is my first V.C. Andrews experience. I watched one version of the Flowers In The Attic movie a long time ago, but this is the first I've read of her. I picked this up on the recommendation of MFM, and specifically for the prompt Recommended by Your Favorite Podcast/Vlog/Blog on the PopSugar Reading Challenge for 2020.
It's hard not to be spoilery but I'm gonna do my best because there are plenty of spoiler filled reviews on here. I don't believe in guilty pleasures (as I've said before), but if guilty pleasure was a genre of book, that's what My Sweet Audrina would be. The story starts with Audrina as a seven year old girl living at her family's estate, Whitefern. Her older sister, the First and Best Audrina, was killed on her ninth birthday in the woods next to their home. This Audrina, the Second and Worst Audrina, is therefore always cautioned to stay out of the woods. She has what she calls a “swiss cheese memory” with random holes and things unknown to her. She lives with her mom, dad, aunt, and cousin. They're all strange and elusive. We follow Audrina as she grows to be in her mid-20s and she's trying to fill in the pieces of her memory.
Doesn't sound like a Jerry Springer plot, but oh, it is. The cast of characters grows and develops, with us finding out more and more and EVEN MORE family secrets up until the very last page. So many times while reading this, I stopped, looked up at my husband, and said, “This is bonkers.” Unfortunately, I felt like the big plot twist and secret was pretty obvious from the very beginning, which is why I gave this four stars. But the writing moved along quickly and kept me entertained.
Would I recommend?
Definitely look up trigger warnings because there are some big ones that I'm not going to list, but they're easy to find on here or elsewhere. Otherwise, if you want an entertaining trashy mystery family secret book, YES. I'm definitely going to be reading some of her other books.
3.5/5 stars
This book came highly recommended to me by my best friend who let me borrow it (thanks!) and it had great reviews on Goodreads. I hate to say that I feel alone in my disappointment with this book. I had super high expectations for it, though.
I love the concept of aliens and I love a good alien story, whether it be a book or movie. So I was definitely excited to read this story about an alien who takes over a mathematician's body. Andrew has just solved a math problem that will change the world. The unnamed alien is sent to make sure that doesn't happen. The problem is that the alien starts to understand humanity and isn't sure about completing his mission anymore.
I wanted so badly to love this book. I wanted to feel and see the beauty as the alien was seeing and feeling it. For the most part, I didn't. There were aspects that I really enjoyed and thought were lovely, mostly the relationships aspect. Not necessarily romantically, but just the alien understanding and being involved in human relationships. I really enjoyed reading those progressions. But mostly, the descriptions of the alien falling in love with earth and humanity felt pretentious. It was supposed to be full of meaning and the whole “searching for the meaning of life” thing, but it just felt very surface to me and like it was trying way too hard to be deep. The Humans started out hilarious, I really enjoyed the beginning of the book. But by the end, there was just too much meaning of life fake depth for me. I was really disappointed by it, which made me really sad. I'm apparently too jaded.
Would I recommend?
It's honestly 50/50. Read more reviews and take a chance if it sounds like something you'd enjoy. If anything, it was a quick and easy read!
My expectations were exceeded by this book. The last few celebrity memoirs I read were strange, slow, and baffling. So I had sort of medium expectations for this one, even though I've always adored Busy Philipps. But she hit it out of the park.
Busy is funny, but she's also (sometimes) painfully honest, open, and real. This book felt a little raw at times, it was so honest. I'm sure there are some pieces she kept private, but I wasn't expecting to cry at the end of every single chapter about her personal life. Nor was I expecting to sob through an entire chapter. Unlike some celebrity memoirs that seem so disconnected from reality, Busy made it easy for the reader to find common ground with her. She was a kid growing up in the suburbs. And now she's a wife and mom with real struggles and triumphs like the rest of us.
I just felt a LOT while reading this book and I'm SO glad she didn't listen when people told her no one would want to read it. Because I did, I do, and I will read anything she writes from now on. So much talent. Truly, what a sparkly human.
Also, I'm obsessed with her writing style and the fact that she wrote so much in all caps and the editor left it that way. I feel that on a cellular level.
Would I recommend?
Definitely yes if you enjoy a good memoir. But if you have triggers, look up trigger warnings first.
P. S. Craig and Jeff can actually KISS IT.